PBOT has announced the location of the fifth and final Sunday Parkways event for 2010. The September edition of the event will take place in Northwest Portland.

The 4.5 mile route will consist of two loops, connecting SW Stark Street, Old Town, the Pearl District and other Northwest neighborhoods. The route also includes a jaunt on Naito Parkway. Couch and Wallace Parks will be the site of activities, food and entertainment.

This will be the first time Sunday Parkways has been held on the west side of the river since the event’s inception in 2008.

PBOT announced the other four Sunday Parkways locations back in January, but they were holding out the September event as a mystery location. A poll taken on this website in February resulted in Southwest Portland getting the most votes — just edging out Northwest Portland.

I find it interesting that this route (a little over 4 miles) is noticably shorter than the rest (6-7 miles). I can’t imagine that folks will want to do too many short loops on a bike, and this may be an event that’s better suited to walkers and skaters. Still, it’s nice to see more dates added and I hope the funding is there.

I WOULD like to note that it is a shame that this route doesn’t take advantage of the “Festival Streets” on NW Davis and Flanders. http://bit.ly/95eFMu

Can Options Guy tell us why these streets were not used?

Festival Streets

At the heart of the design are the two Festival Streets, on NW Davis and NW Flanders. The Festival Streets are streets without curbs, where black granite bollards delineate the boundary between sidewalk and roadway. Cars can drive and park on the festival streets, but the streets are designed so they can be temporarily closed to traffic for neighborhood events. The street surface is scored concrete bounded by light-colored granite pavers.

Costs money to close streets and ride bikes?-I feel a little thick because I really don’t get it. Something is really strange about this program, it has a web site, a budget and loads of city employee and volunteer and sponsor time; to use a public right of way for the public. Is there really someone at Portland Office of Transportation making spreadsheets about this on the clock? Someone who likes participating in these things please clue me in! (Please no jugglers, or children under 10)

incidentally, re some of these other comments, the idea is to close the space to motor traffic and let people enjoy just being on the streets. you don’t have to book through at 18 mph. you can do that any day on the same streets. take your time, breathe the air, talk with someone you had not met before. jeez.

beth h (#3) – It’s harder to get a 6 mile route in NW that stays relatively flat and doesn’t foray into the industrial area. It’s great that they’re choosing to also serve the heavily urban downtown core, which while walkable rarely has the opportunity to enjoy car-free streets in any form.

suburban (#10) – Even with volunteer labor, there are costs. Police involvement is a big one, even if the officers volunteer time, and some of the costs can’t be directly measured easily. The budget office is required to make those determinations, especially when a department is requesting money from the General Fund. In effect, PBOT making the request basically mandated that someone make a spreadsheet to determine what impact it would have and whether the budget office was behind it or not. (basically you can expect them to NOT be behind it unless it involves core infrastructure or makes money for the city)

Spare_wheel (#7 and #13) – perhaps if you weren’t training for that big race, you could enjoy it. 4 miles is fine – should take the average casual cyclist about 30 minutes to do one lap if they don’t stop. Sunday Parkways is meant to allow people to be out there leisurely and enjoy the scenery, conversation, people, events, and atmosphere. Do you really need a 6-8 mile route for that?

+1 to wishing they could have included the festival streets – what’s the point of building them if you don’t use them for…. actual festivals?